During Holy Week, I invite you to reflect on the multiple times that Jesus foretold his own death and resurrection.  In order to celebrate the joyfulness of the empty tomb, we must remind ourselves of the path that led to that tomb, and the many warnings we had about taking that path.

Matthew 16:21-28   ²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.  ²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."  ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."  ²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  ²⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.  ²⁶ For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?  ²⁷ "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.  ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Matthew 17:22-23   ²² As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands,  ²³ and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised." And they were greatly distressed.

Matthew 20:17-19   ¹⁷ While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way,  ¹⁸ "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death;  ¹⁹ then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised."

Mark 8:31-32   ³¹ Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  ³² He said all this quite openly.

Mark 9:30-31   ³⁰ They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it;  ³¹ for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again."

Mark 10:32-34   ³² They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him,  ³³ saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles;  ³⁴ they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."

Luke 9:21-27  ²¹ He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone,  ²² saying, "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."  ²³ Then he said to them all, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  ²⁴ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.  ²⁵ What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?  ²⁶ Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  ²⁷ But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

John 8:21-32   ²¹ Again he said to them, "I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."  ²² Then the Jews said, "Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?"  ²³ He said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.  ²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he."  ²⁵ They said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Why do I speak to you at all?  ²⁶ I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."  ²⁷ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father.  ²⁸ So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.  ²⁹ And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him."  ³⁰ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.  ³¹ Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;  ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

John 12:27-33   ²⁷ "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-- 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.  ²⁸ Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."  ²⁹ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."  ³⁰ Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.  ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.  ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."  ³³ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

In our prayers this week:  Ann, Gail H., Jane